1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf course equipment, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for the creation and covering of holes on golf greens and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Having attained the status as one of the leading leisure time outdoor sporting activities in America today, the game of golf enlists participants of all ages. In hitting the links, one not only enjoys the satisfaction of getting out in the fresh air and playing the game, they also gain the benefit of exercise in swinging the clubs and walking what can amount to several miles.
Golf course managers, trying to generate new business, continually trying to attract new members to their courses. One way to accommodate new and differently skilled golfers is to provide differently located holes on the greens for various levels of skill.
However, multiple holes pose problems, not the least of which is the damage to the greens and the time to auger out and place the new cups. Once a hole is placed, it is there until it is filled. Other sports also require holes in the playing surfaces such as for baseball backstops, soccer goals, goal posts and the like. Again, once these holes are placed, they are difficult to quickly fill. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which one can provide for permanent holes on playing surfaces for the use of stanchion mounted equipment or the placement of multiple golf cups on greens that can be covered when not in use.
In the related art, several devices are disclosed that describe a putting practice device which decreases the diameter of the hole. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,919, issued in the name of Hoyt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,004, issued in the name of Wilson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,891, issued in the name of Owen, Jr. et al.
Several patents describe a golf cup cover and putting aid including a small central opening large enough for a golf ball to enter. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,394, issued in the name of Kretz, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,698, issued in the name of Troiano.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,371, issued in the name of Huston et al., discloses an indoor golf hole, installation method, and cover plate to cover the hole when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,397, issued in the name of Van Holt, Jr., describes a device for reducing the diameter of a golf hole and simultaneously increasing its visibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,612,291, issued in the name of Jackson, discloses an indoor golf game with a metal plug to cover the golf hole when not in use.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that anticipate directly many features of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.